Duda pledges support for protesting nurses

Nurses from across the Małopolska region of southern Poland donned black uniforms for the protest on Kraków's Main Market Square, as countries across the globe marked International Nurses Day.

Besides calling for higher wages, the women want a ruling on the minimum number of nurses that can be on duty on a ward, as well as a reduction in the number of non-medical duties they sometimes have to perform.

“Although the range of out duties has definitely increased, our wages remain disproportionate to what we are doing,” commented Celina Kmiecik, deputy chairman of the Union of Nurses at the Regional Hospital of St Luke in Tarnów.

Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk

Today's action, which was echoed in cities across Poland, is intended as a warning and a potential precursor to a general strike in September.

Duda, who is the candidate of conservative opposition party Law and Justice, claimed that if he wins the second round vote on 24 May, the nurses will have his support.

With many Poles working as nurses abroad, Duda commented that nursing is “a disappearing profession” in Poland.

“The problems of the health service are so many that in some ways one doesn't know where to begin,” he said.

Earlier, the Law and Justice candidate laid wreaths at the tomb 'father of Polish independence' Marshal Piłsudski at Kraków's Wawel Cathedral. Today is the 80th anniversary of Piłsudski's death. (nh)

Source: IAR/rdn.pl